April 2016
A couple of girls hanging around Beatrice in class were giggling to themselves but Beatrice didn't seem to notice. She had her eyes closed and had her cheek resting on her hand.
"Bea, you listening?" one of the girls asked.
"Hmmm" Beatrice replied still closing her eyes.
"Jenny was telling a joke about a guy, did you even hear it?"
"Hmmm"
"Is everything alright, Bee?" Louise, who I recognize now, asked concerned.
This caught Beatrice's reaction. "Yeah, no, I'm fine. I was preoccupied by the latest episode of a drama I was watching. It ended in such a cliffhanger. And the next episode won't be out till next week"
"If you say so. Hey, why don't we get your mind off that and go to the beach tomorrow." another girl suggested.
The beach, huh. What a nice way to spend the weekend. Definitely better than what I had been forced to do.
That morning, both my dad and his new wife were at the table, breakfast was served for one person at the seat across them.
"Sit down, Vivian. Carol made you breakfast." my dad said.
Already, it was a red flag. Not once since we lived together had they prepared food for me nor would they even be with me at the same table while I eat.
I sat down eyeing the food. Bacon and eggs with mashed potatoes and orange juice as drink. A normal American breakfast. I looked at them, waiting for them to say something.
"Why don't you eat, dear." Carol offered.
It's poison.
"What do you want?" I asked suspiciously.
My father's hazel eyes that showed no love or affection what-so-ever stared straight into mine and said,
"We're ending your child support after you graduate, once you turn 18." his voice was deep and raspy, and it held no care or hesitation.
"W-What?" my voice came out as a whisper, eyes hot with tears.
"You're on your own once you turn 18. You can go your own way or you can go live with your mother, I don't care. But I cannot keep taking care of you anymore. Tom and Kesha need more support than you do." he said with an accusing voice as if I cost so much or that I'm giving him that much of a problem.
"I'm your child too!" I screamed at him. "H-How could you?!"
"Don't you dare raise your voice on me, you ungrateful child." he replied.
They're abandoning me. They were gonna cut me off. Just like that. Like I didn't even matter.
I felt like puking. I was sickly disgusted by these people in front of me. My whole body was shaking with rage and humiliation. I wanted to scream at them more. I wanted to throw the food and dishes on the table and flip the goddamn table on them.
And that was exactly what I did.
Carol was fast and flexible enough to avoid getting hit by the table but my father wasn't as lucky. His ass was on the floor and the table on his stomach. I didn't stay to see what happened. I grabbed my bag and walked out the front door, on my way to school.
At lunch, I received a call from my mother. It went something like:
"Honey, I heard what your stupid man of a father decided on. And I'm here not to ask but to beg you to come live with me and your siblings. Jake and Marissa misses you and wants you here too. Dan won't mind. He is absolutely supportive of us and he has actually wanted to meet you too. Come live here with us, okay? Please?"
